Lately I have been sprouting my own lentils, a trick I learned from one of my favorite blogs. It's a really easy way to add a little protein, crunch, and flavor to a salad or sandwich. It only takes about five minutes to set up, and has the added bonus of looking pretty in a mason jar on your counter! Here's how to do it:

Find a large jar (a quart Mason jar will work) and fill it with 1/3 cup lentils and 2 cups water. Make sure to use a large enough jar because the lentils will expand like crazy. Instead of the round lid, cover it with a piece of cheesecloth or fabric, so the lentils can breathe a little.

Let soak for 24 hours. Strain off the water, lay the jar on its side (so the lentils can spread out), and wait another 12 hours. At this point the lentils will start to sprout and you can eat them! They'll continue to grow, though, so if you want to wait to eat them, be sure to rinse them off every 12 hours or so. Pretty soon they'll fill up the whole jar!

You can basically add sprouted lentils to any dish where you'd like some extra crunch, like wraps, salads, sandwiches, or stir fries. Herearesomerecipes that I want to try!